A weekly snapshot of Taiwan business news stories brought to you by CommonWealth and AmCham Taiwan’s TOPICS TSMC plans to build new plant in Japan On October 14, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced plans to construct a specialized wafer fabrication plant in Japan. During a Q3 earnings call, TSMC Chief Executive Officer C….
Recently revised policies have introduced incentives to raise the local birthrate. Meanwhile, the Taiwan government has issued clarifications regarding the treatment of migrant workers during the pandemic. Taiwan’s low birthrate has been attracting attention for several years as the island moves ever closer to becoming a super-aged society, in which at least 20% of the…
A weekly snapshot of Taiwan business news stories brought to you by CommonWealth and AmCham Taiwan’s TOPICS Technology Parks Report Record Gains According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Export Processing Zone Administration (EPZA), the acceleration of emerging technology applications and strong demand for chips brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the revenue…
AmCham’s Human Resources Committee last year raised an important issue regarding how the Ministry of Labor (MOL) determines whether a given labor agreement constitutes an employment, mandate, or independent contractor relationship. The MOL makes this determination based on a 25-item checklist that includes such criteria as whether the business entity provides certain labor benefits; whether…
More flexible job schedules could attract more women into the workforce. At the same time as Taiwan is suffering from an insufficient supply of talent in many employment categories, it has not been making optimal use of a major portion of its population: its women. According to the latest statistics from the Executive Yuan’s Department…
But various hurdles to achieving foreign talent integration remain. Conditions for the more than 30,000 foreign white-collar professionals working in Taiwan have drastically improved in recent years, thanks to a combination of new laws, government initiatives, and an increasing demand for foreign talent in innovative industries. Obstacles to obtaining work authorization have been reduced and…
The aim is to protect workers’ rights without disrupting economic growth. Amendments to the Labor Standards Law passed in April this year included long-discussed provisions to further protect Taiwan’s approximately 150,000 dispatch workers. For the most part, the changes were also welcomed by employers, who see the need for a stable dispatch labor system. Hiring…
Younger Taiwanese have a very different approach to work than previous generations. Companies are looking for the best ways to adapt. Since the start of Taiwan’s manufacturing age half a century ago, the same ethos has permeated most companies’ corporate culture. Decision-making is concentrated at the top, absolute loyalty is expected from employees, and overtime…
Labor strife has been a rarity in Taiwan. Most unions have been organized within individual companies rather than across industries, limiting their power. And for years under the martial-law provisions that ended in 1987, strikes were prohibited altogether. Based on recent developments in the aviation industry, that labor tranquility can no longer be taken for…
More expatriate professionals are coming, but they are often confronted with red tape and a conservative corporate culture. California native Ryan Terribilini moved to Taipei over a year ago to set up his own fintech firm after he received a Taiwan Entrepreneur Visa, designed to streamline the process for foreigners starting businesses on the island….
